Mold is a frequent resident of city apartments and private houses, preferring to actively develop in conditions of high humidity, heat and lack of access to fresh air.
The presence of such a fungus, firmly biting into walls, furniture, clothes, is always accompanied by an unpleasant odor of dampness and requires immediate action to eliminate it. How to get rid of the smell of mold?
Clean the closet
Mold on clothes appears in the case of high humidity in the closet and is able not only to “award” the product with an unpleasant aroma, but also significantly spoil their appearance: destroy the fabric fibers or change the original color of the material. Therefore, it is necessary to check the interior of the cabinet for the presence of fungus and carry out processing to remove it or as a preventative measure. How to get rid of the smell of mold? You should remove all the boxes and shelves, wipe them with a solution of ammonia (based on 1 tsp. Funds in 5 liters of water) and leave for a couple of hours to dry. Then you need to switch attention to the contents of the cabinet.
How to get rid of the smell of mold on clothes: tips
Mold found on wool and silk can be wiped with a piece of cloth soaked in turpentine. Then sprinkle the problem area with powder, cover with paper and iron it. After the procedure, it is recommended to wash the item with laundry soap and rinse in water with a little vinegar. How to get rid of the smell of mold?
It is recommended to sprinkle the moldy surface on the cotton cloth with chalk, cover with a napkin and gently iron with an iron. The second option: wipe the stain with vinegar or lemon juice, sprinkle with salt, let dry, then wash and rinse well.
It is recommended to treat colored tissue affected by the fungus with ammonia diluted in equal proportion with water. Then the item must be washed with a detergent.
White material can be saved from mold by treatment with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. At the same time, it is necessary to control that the tissue is not damaged during the removal of mold. In order not to spoil the whole thing, it is better to conduct a trial treatment on the site of clothing that is not conspicuous.
Alternative methods recommend getting rid of mold and the smell it creates with onion juice or yogurt, which should be applied to the stain, wait 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. At the end of processing, the item should be washed with detergent.
Dry things well
The smell of dampness can be observed if things were wet for a long period of time (for example, they weren’t taken out of the washing machine for a long time after washing) or they were left unfinished, which often happens in spring, autumn and winter when drying on closed balconies. How to get rid of the smell of mold on clothes at home? Firstly, one should not try to interrupt the persistent “aroma” with perfume - this will only aggravate the condition of the product, and it will begin to “fragrance” even more. If the smell of mold is insignificant, it can be eliminated during ironing, pouring a special perfumed liquid into the iron first. Or you should wash the item again (with the addition of fabric softener) and dry thoroughly, preferably in the fresh air, in a well-ventilated and illuminated place. In a residential environment, if natural drying is not possible, it is recommended to direct a stream of warm air from a hairdryer or air heater onto the product. How to get rid of the smell of mold?
An effective way to get rid of the smell of dampness is to soak products in a warm composition of washing powder and vinegar, taken in a tablespoon per liter of water. Then you should wash, dry things well in the sun and iron on both sides.
Preventive actions
In order to prevent the smell of dampness, things in the cabinet should be regularly sorted and dried. You can use aromatic sachets - small flavored bags filled with plants, flower petals and other elements of natural decor. Aroma candles perfectly absorb the smell of mold , which is recommended to light nearby a closet with clothes 1-2 times a week. Be sure to be careful not to keep flammable fabrics near fire.
As a preventative measure, it is recommended:
- ventilate the cabinet frequently;
- when washing, detergent is sometimes replaced with 1 cup of soda, which perfectly cleans and disinfects things;
- clean things separately from those that are currently worn;
- Before folding the washed laundry in a drawer, make sure that it is completely dry;
- if the products were dried outdoors in cool and humid weather, they must be dried in the heat;
- After washing, it is recommended to iron the laundry, allow to cool and only then put it on a shelf.
How to get rid of the smell of mold on shoes at home?
It is much more difficult to solve issues with shoes in which the smell of mold appeared. How to get rid of the smell of mold on shoes? You should replace the old insoles with new ones, dry the shoes, then apply one of the following methods.
You can remove the moldy smell with the help of natural ground coffee, which is poured into shoes for a day (shoes, boots). A steam generator can also help in this matter, after applying which it is recommended to drip a little aromatic oil inside the boots.
To get rid of the smell of mold in shoes, you can apply a more complex recipe:
- put a cotton swab dipped in vinegar essence into each boot;
- pack the shoes in a plastic bag and leave for a day;
- after the set time, remove the tampons, and treat the inner surface of the shoes with ammonia;
- pour salt into each bot and leave it again for a day;
- the next day, shake out the salt, treat the shoes with ammonia, put new insoles inside;
- process with shoe deodorant.
Store shoes correctly
In order to avoid the smell of mold, shoes should be properly stored. It is advisable to use native boxes filled with paper for this. The room in which the shoes are kept should be constantly aired. In order to access the air, it is recommended to open the boxes sometimes.